Do you think parent(s) of "unfavourable" looking babies know it?

I have friends with “unfavorable” looking children and they don’t seem to know it- but even if they did, it would be a shame for them to actually voice that to anyone at all. I have never heard of parents admitting their children aren’t as cute as they’d hoped for, but I have heard lots of parents admit while looking back years later that their children weren’t as adorable as they’d thought at the time.

Mostly not, I would think, hence the expression “a face only a mother could love.” And sometimes babies that people have described as ugly, well, they have been just wicked cute to me. It’s in the eye of the beholder. A baby’s face is always beautiful to it’s parents and so it should be. Someone’s got to love you. But I do remember reading about parents who referred to their baby daughter as Kojak so maybe they had some idea of what was going on. It didn’t mean they loved her any less and they certainly weren’t going to call her that when it might be hurtful. Plus, she would eventually at least grow some hair.

I could have the ugliest baby on the planet, but luckily for her, I wouldn’t care. She’s a beauty to me. that’s all that matters

what, now babies have to pass the swimsuit competition?

@jonsblond My cousin actually has a couple of fairly goofy looking kids, not Gerber babies at all, but they could not be any cuter or more adorable if you could buy “Cute and Adorable” at Sherwin Williams and paint them with 3 or 4 coats of the stuff.

Parents see the entire baby- heart, mind, soul and body. They see how beautiful the baby really is.

Yes, apparently they do.

As Barney Fife said, “Ugly in the cradle, lovely at the table.” Most babies look like Winston Churchill.

Thank you for the replies. I know parents define beauty in their babies by more than just asthetic qualities. I am just curious about the topic. It came up because my mom was whispering to my sister, in a shopping mall, about how “ugly” some “poor baby” was in one of the lines. And my mom loves babies; so it perked my interest in the subject.

I know if I had a baby, it wouldn’t matter at all what they looked like ..I’m sure he/she would be the most beautiful baby in the world to me. Which is why I asked the question ..wondering if I, myself, would notice if my baby had any of these socially “unfavourable” distinctions.

Of course, just like unfavorable looking people in general.

They had to get the “unfavorable” genes from somewhere, didn’t they? Maybe the parents are used to it :)

@sliceswiththings Yes, I would just say: “You think my baby is ugly? You should have seen my grandmother! She was old country; she was looked-like-an-ugly-man-in-a-dress ugly! She loved you to death but you didn’t cross her; my baby kind of takes after her and might just decide to kick your ass from here to Sicily so you may want to step back:-)

Lol @lillycoyote ..well, I for one would love to visit Sicily :P

@PluckyDog Though maybe not if you were propelled there off of the bottom of my fictional “old country” Italian grandmother’s shoe. :P

I knew that mine was! She had a hard time being born. She was reluctant. By the time she was among us she had a head the shape of a wing nut and bruises all over her face. After I had a five hour sleep and left her with the maternity nurse, she had also managed to scratch most of the skin off her face. But she improved rapidly. But yes… I knew that mine was a little unfavourable but you still love them.

There is very little that I find more charming than a baby with ears that are too big for its head. I love odd-looking babies. It always disappointed me a little that my sister’s were all so perfect.

Anyway, I suspect parents know, on some level. It’s probably one of those things like… Well, here, take my best friend’s husband, for example. I met him in high school when he was dating another one of my friends. His head was too big for his body and he was Wolfman hairy. I thought he was one of the most bizarre-looking people I’d ever laid eyes on. But then I got to know him and became friends with him. Now, twelve years (oh my god twelve years!?) later, I think he’s one of the most adorable men in the world. When you grow to love someone like that, often the odd things about them turn out to be some of the most endearing things, as well.

I forget who said it first it wasn’t me, but it applies to babies as well as to lovers:

I don’t love her because she’s beautiful; she’s beautiful because I love her.

Well, even if you do look like a bulldog licking piss off a thistle, you’re someones mama & she lurves you :¬)

The only person I know who outright says her baby wasn’t attractive is my mother-in-law. She laughs about how homely her daughter was as a baby, but she says it in a happy, affectionate kind of way. I think parents can know their babies or children aren’t the most physically beautiful children without it being a negative thing. Newborn babies, in particular, usually aren’t that cute. Most of them look a little rough at first like @joannamc described.

Not mine, of course. All three of mine popped out of the womb ready for a photo shoot. ;)

Come to think of it, when my youngest was born (a couple of weeks early) he was very long and skinny. We laughed at his chicken legs until he fattened up a bit. We didn’t love him any less for it, but whenever I think of his chicken legs I can’t help but smile!

Not really… And it would be inadvisable to tell them..